Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-09
THE ciTY's INJURIOUS INFLUENCES
Those which Chiefly Affect the Stability
of the Nervous system.

AhOse men Snteuy AueCt inc StAOblIty
of the Nervous system.
do not intend to discuss in this paper
the subjects of bad ventilation and inn
pure air, imperfect drainage, damp Gel
lars or insufficient noUrishment. refer
to those influences which chiefly affect
the stability of the nervous system, rem
dering it less capable, of sustained work
and in a secondary way only the circula-
ton and general nutrition. The result OF
all these influences is to lessen the pro-
ducing power of each man and thus to
depreciate his value as an economic fac
tor. Their cause is to be found in faulty
municipal arrangements which can be
largely corrected by intelligent action
and supervision. They work by pro-
ducing insomnia. aberrant forms of NEIL
tai action. These effects accumulate
with each successive generation sub
icctcd to their influence until the final in
heri,or finds the load too heavy to bear
and do any useful work. refer chiefly
to three, and these are:
First. Disease of the upper extremi-
ties for any considerable muscular exer-
ton.
Second. The incessant noise of large
city.
Third. Jarring Of the brain and spinal
cord by continual treading upon the stone
and brick pavements which make our
sidewalks and streets.
If there is one general physical differ
ence between the country bred and tho
city bred man it lies in the size aid
.r, 81, Is 81, ehA,l,-v
and arm. This use of the arms has IL.
both men and women an important bear
ing on the general health since il in
creases the capacity Of the chest and
thereby the surface of lung tissue where
the blood is spread out in thin walled
vessels through which the oxygen and
carbonic acid easily pass i'll opposite direc-
tons, serving thus the double purpose OF
feeding the body more abundantly and
of removing constantly accommodating
waste product.
\ man may walk in On hour four miles
on city sidewalk and reach his desk
tired. exhausted Of force and better only
for the open air and Il slight increase of
the circulation. Had Ire spent half tha.
time in well ordered gymnasium using
chest and rowing weights. and after II
sponge bath if he had gone by rapil
transit to his office, he would have found
his work of n very different order. easier
10 do and taking less time to perform it.
The remedy for this state Of things is to
cause every man ard woman to realize
the importance of arm exercise. Make it
compulsory in schools and popular after
leaving school.
A second injurious influence which per-
tains exclusively TO city life is incessant
noise. This may not be very intense at
any time, but when continuous it acts as
certainly upon the nervous system as
water falling upon stone. Elevated
railroads should not be permitted in
f.rects where men and women live. A
third hurtful influence of city life is
jarring of the brain by continual treading
/ upon stone pavcments. If any one
| doubts that there is Il distinct and de-
( cided jar of the brain with each step let
him wall, 100 wards when the brain Is
/ slightly over sensitive from bad cold, or
| headache, and he will observe the pain
each step causes.
Now in many people, the i'll effects OF
these thousands of slight daily conclusions
accumulate and after time concur with
other causes in producing that state Of
disability called nervous exhaustion.
Something is needed for pedestrians which
will he durable Yet not hard. Some OF
the varieties of asphalt composition are
elastic, but none of them sufficiently dur
able so far as l know. Nature suggests
q remedy in second way in the covering
of the human heel Itself. where we find a
q very elastic pad one-half an inch thick
to lessen the jar of walking. If we re-
place the perfectly hard boot heel by an
elastic india rubber Une we provide an